From one of Britain's most celebrated authors comes this fast-paced and wickedly satirical novel -- already a top bestseller in England -- about a highly secretive, centuries-old organization bent on global domination.
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From one of Britain's most celebrated authors comes this fast-paced and wickedly satirical novel -- already a top bestseller in England -- about a highly secretive, centuries-old organization bent on global domination.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Business to cart. $2.06, good condition, Sold by Jenson Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Logan, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
Add this copy of The Business to cart. $6.86, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
Add this copy of The Business to cart. $6.86, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
Add this copy of The Business to cart. $6.86, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
Add this copy of The Business to cart. $6.86, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
Add this copy of The Business to cart. $6.86, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
Add this copy of The Business: a Novel to cart. $7.50, good condition, Sold by ABC Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Springfield, MO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
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Seller's Description:
Good In mylar jacket. Binding and spine tight. Dust Jacket now protected in archival mylar. No apparent marks throughout this book. Tracking available on most domestic orders.
Add this copy of The Business: a Novel to cart. $7.99, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Business: a Novel to cart. $9.49, very good condition, Sold by Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newmarket, NH, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster; NY.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Nearr Fine jacket. Size: 104x20x152; Review slip laid in. Octavo, 9 1/2" tall, 393 pages, black boards. A near fine, clean, neat hard cover with light shelf wear, gently read, with a slight cant to the spine, binding tight, paper cream white. In a near fine, lightly worn dust jacket with the original price present.
Add this copy of The Business to cart. $10.00, very good condition, Sold by ZENO'S rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from San Francisco, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Simon & Schuster.
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Very Good jacket. New York. 2000. November 2000. Simon & Schuster. 1st American Edition. Very Good in Dustjacket. 0743200144. 393 pages. hardcover. Jacket design by Michael Accordino. keywords: Europe Scotland Literature World Literature. DESCRIPTION-The Business is a nearly omnipotent and infinitely, discreet transglobal organization whose origins predate the Christian Church, if not the Roman Empire (which the Business actually owned for sixty-six days). Financially transparent, internally democratic, and morally dispassionate, the actual business of the Business seems-even to Kate Telman, a senior executive-to be vague to the point of invisibility. Counted among its vast riches are a book of Leonardo cartoons, dozens of Michelangelo's pornographic paintings, and several sets of Crown Jewels. All it lacks is a certain clout in politics, an arena that the Business has avoided for centuries but that has suddenly become of vital importance. No longer satisfied with its permanent base in Antarctica and its fortified Swiss headquarters, the Business is angling to buy its own nation in order to take a seat at the United Nations. ' ‘Kate is the perfect candidate to help the Business realize its most ambitious goal: She was plucked at age eight from a bleak urban slum and groomed for membership among the Businesses elite, and her personal and professional loyalties chart a single path. She has risen rapidly through the ranks, achieving a reputation as not only the firm's smartest and most beautiful employee but also its foremost expert on emerging technologies. While her loyalty never falters, as she travels the globe at the behest of her enigmatic employer she is forced to peel away layers of emotional insulation and to reassess the assumptions of a lifetime. To take control of her future, she must learn to do the Business. inventory #28351.
I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this book up, except perhaps the description of the book as a corporate satire about a company that goes back to Roman times that essentially has its finger in every conceivable industry around the world.
The most interesting part of the story is that it's told by the main character, Kathryn Telman. Her voice is a good one, acerbic and intelligent and - at least from this guy's perspective - honest. It sounds like a woman, albeit an edgy one with a vocal lack of maternal instinct. (And in truth, her love for another character never wholly rings true, as if this was difficult for Banks to pull off so he just largely avoided it, despite it being a major plot point.)
The downside of the book is...the plot is very flimsy. It's a clever book, and the plot is there - but it is held together loosely and involves some characters we don't see enough to understand their relevance. In some ways, this might have even worked better as a movie than a book for that reason, and that's probably not a great compliment.
Enjoyable? Yes. Would I read another book by Banks (who, I've discovered, is much more known for science fiction)? Probably not.
